JP2003012219A - Device for aligning and conveying paper sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the efficiency for the operation of aligning paper sheets and the operation of conveying the sheets after alignment when the paper sheets, conveyed one by one from a previous printing process or the like to a retaining part, are bound after being sequentially stacked and aligned. SOLUTION: The device for aligning and conveying paper sheets includes the retaining part 31 for stacking the paper sheets P conveyed by a first conveying means 32, and a second conveying means for conveying the bundle of paper sheets stacked in the retaining part onto a post-processing part at a time. The retaining part includes a stacking surface 35 for stacking the paper sheets on its upper surface; a first guide member 50 located over the, stacking surface and capable of depressing the rear end edges of the paper sheets on the stacking surface by moving its tip vertically; a second guide member 55 and a third guide member 60 adapted to be capable of moving in and out from the bottom to the top of the stacking surface; a drive source for moving the first, second and third guide members vertically; and a control part for controlling these members.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a sheet aligning / conveying device for performing post-processing such as binding processing after depositing various kinds of paper sheets, and more particularly to conveying paper sheets one by one from a preceding printing step or the like. The present invention relates to a paper sheet arranging / conveying device that efficiently stacks and arranges the received paper sheets and then collectively conveys them to a post-processing unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a paper sheet handling apparatus such as a printing machine and a copying machine, after stacking a plurality of paper sheets which have been subjected to pre-processing such as printing, post-processing such as stapling (binding processing). It is known that the process of applying is automated. For example, the device for issuing certificates such as a resident's card and a certified copy of a register installed at a municipal office, etc., is a unit that performs the printing process, and the printed sheets are lined up and aligned. A post-processing device for stapling the required places is provided. In a paper sheet handling device equipped with such a post-processing device, pre-processing such as printing is completed, and the sheets conveyed one by one are piled up in a storage unit in an aligned state to form a sheet bundle. After forming the sheet bundle, the sheet bundle is collectively transferred from the holding section to the post-processing device, and then stapled at a desired position of the sheet bundle. Also, the paper size handled by one post-processing device,
If the orientations and the like are not constant, it is necessary to change the alignment position, the moving distance, etc. of the papers by the alignment means according to the size and orientation of the papers conveyed to one holding section. Further, since there are variations in the posture and approach position at which the sheets are conveyed to the holding unit, it is necessary to position and align the sheets at a fixed position while coping with the positional deviation. Furthermore, after the aligning means aligns the preceding paper at a fixed position in the holding section,
It is also necessary to take care so that the aligning means does not hinder the entry of the subsequent sheets conveyed to the holding section. But,
Up to now, a sheet aligning / conveying device capable of satisfying all the above requirements has not been proposed, and development of a new device having such various functions has been strongly desired.

That is, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the construction of a holding section in a conventional paper sheet handling apparatus.
Is a means for receiving and accumulating the sheets P conveyed one by one in the arrow A direction by the first conveying means 2, and the holding section 1 is a stacking surface 5 for stacking the sheets in a stacked state and a stacking surface 5.
It has an alignment mechanism 6 and the like for stacking sheets one by one on top. In addition, a second conveying unit (not shown) for collectively conveying the sheet bundle accumulated in the holding unit 1 to a post-processing device (not shown) is provided. The first transport unit 2 includes a transport guide 10 for guiding the sheets P discharged from a printing device (not shown) and transported one by one in the direction of arrow A, and a transport roller arranged along the lower surface of the transport guide 10. 11 and a plurality of elastic blades 1 assembled coaxially with the conveying roller 11.
It has a sweeper 12 composed of 2a, a drive source for these, and a controller. The aligning mechanism 6 holds the trailing edge of the sheet P discharged from the first transporting means 2 and prevents the collision with the leading edge of the following sheet, and the sheet holding guide supported by the shaft 15a so as to be vertically movable. 15 and a guide member 16 configured to allow a stopper piece 16a to project into the loading surface 5 through a hole or the like provided in the loading surface 5. The paper pressing guide 15 rotates in the vertical direction so that the front end of the paper pressing guide 15 can press the rear end of the paper discharged onto the stacking surface. The stopper member 16 is supported by a shaft 16b so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and the stopper piece 16a is a means for aligning and aligning the rear ends of the sheets on the stacking surface. In the above configuration, the paper P discharged from the printing device (not shown) or the like is conveyed toward the holding unit 1 between the lower surface of the conveyance guide 10 and the roller 11. At this time, the sweeper 12, which is arranged coaxially with the roller 11 and integrally rotates, strikes the rear end of the sheet that has entered the holding section downward by the elastic blade 12a. Further, the paper pressing guide 15 rotates downward about the shaft 15a to further press the rear end of the paper at its leading end. By repeating such a holding operation sheet by sheet, sheets can be deposited on the stacking surface 5. After accumulating a predetermined number of sheets, the guide member 16 is retracted downward, and the bundle of sheets is collectively transferred to the post-processing device located in the arrow B direction by the second conveying unit (not shown).

However, in the aligning mechanism 6 having the above-mentioned structure, when the trailing edge of the sheet has an upward curl (face curl) tendency, the trailing edge portion is once pressed by the sheet pressing guide 15. Even if the paper holding guide 15 is retracted upward, the rear end portion may immediately return to the original shape and float up, and may collide with the leading end of the succeeding bill. In addition, when the size and orientation of the sheet conveyed to the holding unit 1 is changed, and when the position and orientation of the sheet falling on the stacking surface 5 are varied, the sheets are directly deposited on the stacking surface 5. You cannot align the paper.
Therefore, there is provided a jogging unit that moves the sheet once discharged on the stacking surface in a direction (width direction) orthogonal to the transport direction and abuts against a stopper (not shown). But,
When the jogging means is provided, the rear edge of the sheet is hit by the elastic blades 12a of the sweeper while the sheet is moved in the width direction by the jogging means, so that the sheet is easily displaced. If the sweeper is stopped and the paper is moved in the width direction by the jogging means and then the trailing edge of the paper is tapped by the sweeper, the elastic blades of the sweeper located on the moving path of the paper cause the width of the paper to move. It also hinders directional movement. Furthermore, when the sheet bundle on the stacking surface is transferred in the direction of arrow B after the guide member 16 is retracted downward, a part of the elastic blade 12a of the sweeper is always B.
Since it interferes with the conveying path in the direction, the alignment of the sheet bundle may be disturbed. Therefore, inconvenience occurs in post-processing such as stapling.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The problem to be solved by the present invention is to sequentially stack and arrange paper sheets, which are conveyed one by one from a preceding printing process, in a holding section and then, In a paper sheet arranging / conveying device that collectively transfers a bundle to a post-processing device and performs post-processing such as binding processing, it is an object to improve the efficiency and improve the paper sheet arranging work and the conveying property. And More specifically, regardless of the size and orientation of the paper conveyed to the holding section, and the deviation of the entry position to the holding section, the paper is always piled up in an optimal position in an aligned state, and then the paper is fed from the holding section. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet aligning / conveying device that does not hinder the conveyance of a bundle of sheets conveyed to a processing device.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 has a holding section for receiving and accumulating paper sheets conveyed one by one by the first conveying means, and a holding section. Second, the bundle of paper sheets accumulated on the paper is collectively conveyed to the post-processing section.
In the paper sheet arranging / conveying device, the storage section includes a stacking surface for stacking the paper sheets transported by the first transporting means on an upper surface, and an upper portion of the stacking surface. And a first guide member configured to push down the trailing edge of the paper sheet on the stacking surface by vertically moving the leading end portion toward the stacking surface, and from above the stacking surface to below the stacking surface. A second guide member and a third guide member configured to be capable of projecting in and out of the above, a drive source for vertically moving the first, second, and third guide members, respectively, and a control unit for controlling these units. ,
The second guide member includes a base piece that moves up and down through the stacking surface, and a rear end of the paper sheet that has been conveyed onto the stacking surface when the base piece is in the raised position. A locking piece provided at a tip of the base piece for locking the lower surface, and the third guide member penetrates the loading surface at a position adjacent to the second guide member in the width direction. It is characterized by having an aligning plate that moves up and down. According to a second aspect of the present invention, after the control section locks the lower surface of the rear end of each sheet conveyed to the stacking surface one by one, the locking piece of the second guide member in the raised position is locked. Then, the second guide member is retracted downward to unlock the trailing end of the paper sheet, and then the first guide member is lowered to move the trailing end of the paper sheet at its tip. While pushing down, the second guide member is lifted to cause the locking piece to overhang on the trailing edge of the paper sheet, and then the first guide member is controlled to be lifted and retracted so that the first guide member in the raised position is moved. It is characterized in that the trailing edge of each paper sheet in the piled state is aligned along the alignment plate of the guide member of No. 3. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the control section causes the locking piece of the second guide member in the raised position to lock the rear end lower surface of each sheet conveyed one by one to the stacking surface. Then, the second guide member is retracted downward to unlock the trailing end of the paper sheet, and then the first guide member is lowered to move the trailing end of the paper sheet at its tip. While pushing down the second guide member to raise the second guide member to cause the locking piece to overhang on the trailing edge of the paper sheet, and then to control the first guide member to rise and retreat, thereby making the third position in the raised position. After aligning the trailing edges of the stacked sheets of paper along the aligning plate of the guide member, and after finishing stacking all the sheets on the stacking surface, move the second and third guide members below the stacking surface. It is characterized in that the paper sheet bundle is evacuated to and is collectively conveyed by the second conveying means.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 (a) to 1 (f) are schematic diagrams showing a configuration and an operation of a main part of a sheet aligning / conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This aligning / conveying device is connected and arranged, for example, at the latter stage of the printing device of the certificate issuing device, and temporarily holds the sheets (paper sheets) conveyed one by one, accumulates them, aligns them, and sets them. A function of collectively transporting the bundle of sheets to the post-processing device (post-processing unit) in the subsequent stage when the number of sheets is accumulated is provided. Figure 1 shows the alignment of paper sheets.
It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration around the holding unit in the transport device,
The holding section 31 is a means for receiving and accumulating the sheets P conveyed one by one in the arrow A direction by the first conveying means 32, and the holding section 31 is a stacking surface 35 for stacking the sheets in a stacked state. The stacking surface 35 has an alignment mechanism 36 and the like for stacking sheets one by one in an aligned state. In addition, the holding unit 31
A second conveying unit (not shown) for collectively conveying the sheet bundle accumulated on the sheet to a post-processing device (not shown) is provided. The first conveying means 32 includes a conveying guide 40 that guides the sheets P discharged from a printing device (or a sheet feeding device) (not shown) and conveyed one by one in the arrow A direction, and the conveying guide 4.
It has a conveyance roller 41 arranged along the lower surface of 0, a drive source for these, and a controller. The alignment mechanism 36 is located above the stacking surface 35, and has its base end pivotally supported by a shaft 51 in the up-down direction, and the tip 52 is moved up and down toward the stacking surface to move the rear end of the paper sheet on the stacking surface. The first guide member 50 configured to be able to push down the edge, the second guide member 55 and the third guide member 55 configured to be capable of projecting upward from below the loading surface through holes provided in the loading surface 35 and the like. Guide member 60
And the first, second and third guide members 50, 55, 60
A drive source (not shown) for vertically moving each of the above and each, and a control unit (not shown) for controlling these.

The first guide member 50 has a tip portion 52.
Thus, the paper is rotated in the vertical direction so that the rear end of the paper discharged on the stacking surface 35 can be pressed. The second guide member 55 includes a base piece 56 penetrating the stacking surface 35 and moving up and down, and a lower surface of the rear end of the paper sheet conveyed onto the stacking surface when the base piece 56 is in the raised position. A locking piece 57 provided at the tip of the base piece 56 for locking.
The locking piece 57 projects forward (upward to the left in the drawing) with a predetermined inclination. The base end of the second guide member 55 is supported by a shaft 70 so as to be vertically movable. Next, the third guide member 60 includes an aligning plate 61 that vertically moves through the loading surface 35 at a position adjacent to the second guide member 55 in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the transport direction). . The front end portion 62 of the alignment plate 61 is the second guide member 5
The locking piece 57 of FIG. The third guide member 60 has a base end portion with the shaft 7
It is rotatably supported in the vertical direction by 0.
It rotates independently of the guide member 55. The second guide member 55 has a rear end portion of the paper P, which has been sent to the holding portion 31 by the first transporting means 32, as described below.
After it is pushed onto the stacking surface by the guide member 50, it has a function of preventing the trailing edge of the sheet from rising due to curling. The third guide member 60 is
By the cooperation of the first and second guide members 50, 55,
In the process of stacking the sheets on the stacking surface 35, the sheet has a function of aligning the rear ends of the sheets in a state of protruding on the stacking surface. After the accumulation, the second guide member 55 is retracted downward to allow the second conveying unit to convey the sheet bundle in the B direction. Second and third guide members 5
Under the control of the control unit, the reference numerals 5 and 60 rotate independently in the vertical direction by a drive source (not shown). The tip 52 of the first guide member 50 and the tips 57 and 62 of the second and third guide members 55 and 60 are displaced in the width direction so as not to interfere with each other. Alternatively, it is configured so that interference is avoided by engaging the respective tip portions in a comb shape.

Next, with reference to FIG. 1, a paper holding procedure by the aligning / conveying apparatus of the present invention will be described. First, Fig. 1
(A) shows the standby state, in which the first guide member 50 is in the raised position, and the second and third guide members 55, 60 are also in the raised position. At this time, the second
The base piece 56 of the third guide member 55, 60 and the aligning plate 61 are adjacent to each other in the width direction without being displaced in the front-rear direction. Further, at this time, the locking piece 57 of the second guide member 55 is bent obliquely forward as shown, and the tip portion 62 of the third guide member 60 is bent obliquely rearward. The locking piece 57 of the second guide member 55 is
As shown in (b), the size and shape thereof are set so that the lower surface of the trailing end of the sheet P conveyed by the first conveying means 32 and discharged onto the stacking surface 35 is locked. In (a), the first sheet of paper P that has been conveyed in the direction A through the contact portion between the lower surface of the conveyance guide 40 and the roller 41 that rotates in the direction of the arrow lands on the stacking surface 35 from the leading edge thereof. It moves forward and stops by bringing its tip into contact with a stopper (not shown) located on the left side of the drawing. At this time, as shown in (b), the trailing edge of the sheet is in a state of being locked on the locking piece 57 of the second guide member 55. next,
In (c), the second guide member 55 descends about the shaft 70 and retracts downward from the hole formed in the loading surface 35. For this reason, the paper P, whose rear end edge was supported by the locking piece 57, loses its support and descends, but when it has a curl tendency, the rear end portion is lifted as shown in the figure. Will remain. If this is left unattended, collision with the succeeding bill tip cannot be avoided, so in the subsequent (d), the first guide member 50 is lowered and the trailing end portion of the paper P is brought to the third guide member by the leading end portion 52 thereof. It is forcibly pushed down along the alignment plate 61 of 60.

Subsequently, in (e), the first guide member 50
The second guide member 55 is lifted in a state where the rear end of the paper P is pushed down along the aligning plate 61 to return to the original lifted position. Subsequently, in (f), the first guide member 50 is returned to the original raised position. In (e), the second guide member 55 returns to the original raised position via a path that does not interfere with the trailing edge of the sheet, so that the first guide member as in (f)
As a result of retracting the guide member 50 of FIG. 1 to the raised position, the rear end of the sheet is positioned below the locking piece 57 as shown in the figure (the locking piece 57 overhangs on the rear end of the sheet). Therefore, as a result of the rear end portion being pressed by the locking piece 57, it does not interfere with the leading edge of the succeeding sheet.
Since the state of (f) is the same as the initial state of (a), the succeeding sheets are conveyed one by one into the holding section 31 by the first conveying means 32 and the sheets are accumulated on the accumulation surface. be able to. That is, a sheet bundle can be formed in a state where the succeeding sheets are stacked and aligned on the already discharged sheet by the same procedure as shown in (b) to (f). After the stack of a predetermined number of sheets is accumulated, the second and third guide members 5
By simultaneously retracting 5 and 60 downward about the shaft 70, it becomes possible to send the sheet bundle to the post-processing device (not shown) located on the right side of the drawing by the second transporting device (not shown).

As described above, the paper sheets of this embodiment are aligned and
In the transport device, the control unit locks the lower surface of the rear end of each sheet that is being transported one by one onto the stacking surface 35 by the locking piece 57 of the second guide member 55 in the raised position. After that, the second guide member 55 is retracted downward (below the stacking surface) about the shaft 70 to release the locking of the rear end of the paper sheet,
Then, the first guide member 50 is lowered to move the tip 52 thereof.
While pressing the rear end of the sheet, the second guide member 55
Is controlled so as to overhang the locking piece 57 that is bent obliquely upward and upward and to the rear end of the sheet, and then the first guide member is raised and retracted. Therefore, even after the first guide member is retracted, the trailing edge of the sheet is prevented from rising by the locking piece 57 of the second guide member. Then, the alignment plate 6 of the third guide member 60 in the raised position
The trailing edge of each stack of sheets along 1 can be aligned. Further, the control unit retracts the second and third guide members 55 and 60 below the stacking surface after the required number of sheets to be subjected to the post-processing by the post-processing device has been accumulated on the stacking surface. Since the bundle of sheets is collectively conveyed by the second conveying means, it is possible to convey the bundle of sheets to the post-processing apparatus without disturbing conveyance and without disturbing the aligned state. In the present embodiment, since the elastic blade of the sweeper, which has been conventionally required, can be shortened or omitted, even when the sheets are arranged in the width direction one by one by the jogging means, there is an obstacle. Since there is no such thing, the width can be smoothly adjusted.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the paper sheets, which are conveyed one by one from the printing process in the preceding stage to the holding section, are sequentially accumulated and aligned, and then the paper sheet is subjected to the binding process. It is possible to improve efficiency of the alignment work of the class and the transfer work after the alignment.
In particular, regardless of the size and orientation of the paper conveyed to the holding section and the deviation of the entry position to the holding section, the sheets are always piled up in an optimal position in an aligned state and the binding process is performed at a desired position. Further, it is possible to prevent the aligning means from obstructing the entry of the subsequent sheets conveyed to the holding section. The operation can be smoothly performed even when the bundle of paper sheets accumulated in the aligned state is collectively transferred to the post-treatment device in the subsequent stage.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A to 1F are front views showing a configuration and a work procedure of essential parts of a sheet aligning / conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

31 storage section, 32 first transport means, 35 stacking surface,
36 alignment mechanism, 40 transport guide, 41 transport roller,
50 first guide member, 51 shaft, 52 distal end portion, 5
5 2nd guide member, 56 base piece, 57 locking piece, 60 3rd guide member, 61 aligning plate, 62 tip, 70 axis.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A holding section for receiving and accumulating the paper sheets conveyed one by one by the first conveying means, and a second conveyance means for collectively conveying the paper sheet bundle accumulated in the retaining section to the post-processing section. In a paper sheet arranging / transporting apparatus including a transporting unit, the holding unit includes a stacking surface on which the paper sheets transported by the first transporting unit are stacked on an upper surface, and a stacking surface above the stacking surface. A first guide member which is configured to be capable of pushing down the trailing edge of the paper sheet on the stacking surface by moving the tip end portion up and down toward the stacking surface; and from the lower side to the upper side of the stacking surface. A second guide member and a third guide member configured to be capable of protruding and projecting; a drive source for vertically moving the first, second, and third guide members, and a control unit for controlling these units, The second guide member penetrates the loading surface and moves up and down, A locking piece provided at the tip of the base piece for locking the lower surface of the rear end of the paper sheet conveyed onto the stacking surface when the base piece is in the raised position; The paper sheet aligning / conveying device, wherein the guide member includes an aligning plate that vertically moves through the stacking surface at a position adjacent to the second guide member in the width direction. 2. The control unit, after the locking piece of the second guide member in the raised position locks the lower surface of the rear end of each paper sheet conveyed one by one to the stacking surface, The second guide member is retracted downward to unlock the rear end of the paper sheet, and then the first guide member is lowered to push down the rear end of the paper sheet at its tip. At the same time, the second guide member is raised to cause the locking piece to overhang on the trailing edge of the paper sheet, and then the first guide member is controlled to be raised and retracted. The sheet aligning / conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the trailing edge of each sheet in the piled state is aligned along the aligning plate of the guide member. 3. The control section, after the locking piece of the second guide member in the raised position locks the lower surface of the rear end of each sheet conveyed to the stacking surface one by one, The second guide member is retracted downward to unlock the rear end of the paper sheet, and then the first guide member is lowered to push down the rear end of the paper sheet at its tip. At the same time, the second guide member is lifted to overhang the locking piece on the trailing edge of the paper sheet, and then the first guide member is lifted and retracted to control the third guide in the lifted position. Align the trailing edges of the stacked paper sheets along the member alignment plate, and after all the paper sheets have finished stacking on the stacking surface, retract the second and third guide members below the stacking surface. The sheet bundle is collectively conveyed by the second conveying means. Or alignment and transfer apparatus for sheet according to 2.